Highlights from the latest cruise: CSR 10

On the first day of the tenth cruise (July 17th to 23rd) in the Pelagos Sanctuary, sighting were: a large male sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), five times striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), two turtles (Caretta caretta), a large devil ray (Mobula mobular), the mediterranean “manta ray”. And while the participants were swimming … an awesome sunfish (Mola mola) joined them.

Six fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) on the same day, and the fish finder shows food at depth. Also the behavior of the whales points toward a feeding “session”. The researchers collect important data on the fin’s blow intervals.

Awesome videos of fin and sperm whales. Thank you Lele Lodigiani

On Saturday a nice pod of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were spotted near shore, close to Sanremo, included a female with a small calf.

One of the sperm whales turned out to a relighting: it is “Mousse”, already photo-identified and filed in the “catalogue”.